


We're All Just Letters in the Script

by EllenofX



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Big Brother Papyrus, Gen, Kinda, Other, Papyrus Remembers Resets, Sans Remembers Resets, Skeletons In The Closet, i meant they have a bunch of secrets, look - Freeform, not in that way, papyrus death, papyrus remembers timelines, skelebros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:16:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenofX/pseuds/EllenofX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know this script by now. We're read it over and over, nearly as many times as he's lived this day. It always ends in dust, doesn't it?</p><p>---</p><p>Papyrus stood like a puppet on stings, unable to delay his own retreat. The script was demanding. Unchangeable. Inevitable.</p><p>As he walked out the door, he heard Sans call out in a whisper of a voice, audible over only the silence the script imposed on him.</p><p>"love you, pap."</p><p>He never got his hug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Knock Knock

**Author's Note:**

> The Story Arc:  
> 1) Start.  
> 2) Established routine.  
> 3) Inciting incident.  
> 4) Everything changes.  
> 5) Obstacle to overcome.  
> 6) Tension rises.  
> 7) Reset.  
> ???) Climax  
> ???+1) Denoument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1: Start - Tells you nothing about this fic. Go read the next chapter.

The skeleton took a deep, calming breath. It didn’t help. He was still nervous. After all, this was it. The big day… The big day that he met the human. He wasn’t really looking forward to it, if he was honest, that’s why he was here to see his brother before he left. He knew he would see his brother later, but by then… He knocked on the door.

No response, not even an irritated noise from beyond the wooden barrier. Strange, there was no way the other skeleton could have already left. Well, there was, but that would break the schedule, and as far as he knew there wasn’t any way to do that. If there was, he reasoned, he certainly would’ve found it by now. After all, he’d lived this day over and over again, so many times he’d lost count. It always ended the same.

It ended with dust.


	2. Who's there?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Established Routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 - 0 - 19

This day always ended with dust. That’s why he needed to see his brother. The skeleton knocked again, this time calling out as he did so:

“KNOCK-KNOCK!”

Still nothing. Papyrus crossed his arms in front of him, irritated, but beneath that irritation also laid concern. Sans was always a lazybones, sure, but normally not to this degree and certainly not on this particular day. In fact, that was one of the small blessings of this day, that before the human showed up it was a good one. Sans often ate breakfast with him on this day, and, depending on how their conversation went, often walked with Papyrus until Sans went, well…

Wherever he went. Papyrus didn’t really know where that was, only that it was where he found the human. Papyrus didn’t blame Sans for the human coming, though.

It was part of the schedule. The unchangeable events, the pattern, the puzzle. He used to like puzzles, but this whole damn day was just one that he couldn’t quite figure out. It played out like a script, one of Metaton’s shows on the television, and Papyrus could even recite other people’s lines occasionally. Not always, just when things worked in the ways he was most familiar with.

Sometimes he pretended that this actually was one of Metaton’s shows. It helped with his nerves. This day was just one big production, and he was the hero! Valiant, attractive, debonair (and a good cook to boot)! And this was just take… Right, he’d forgotten what take they were on. Probably a number larger than could fit on the clapboard.

But, hey… He can’t give up.

Maybe this would be the final take.

Maybe?

Papyrus frowned at himself. It wasn’t allowed to be a maybe. _He_ was the _great_ Papyrus! Out of all the monsters in the underground, he would be able to do it. This _would_ be the final take! And if it wasn’t, then the next one would. He _would_ convince the human to change their ways. He believed in them. He believed in himself! He knew they could change! He...

He remembered something. Or thought he did. He wasn’t quite sure. These moments happened, sometimes. Normally when he was about to memorize a new line of the script. One of the possible scripts, at least. Just because this day repeated didn’t mean it was exactly the same. Somethings could, and did go differently. He had to believe other things could, too, though honestly he didn’t know how. He’d tried many, many times to make a difference, but a lot of what he tried simply wasn’t in the script.

That was how he imagined it, at least. No matter what he did, in the end, he and the human met in the fog. He spoke to them, telling them how he felt about them, his fears for them, trying to contain the ones he had for himself, and then, inevitably, it happened.

Papyrus rubbed his neck nervously. He didn’t have much more time before he _had_ to leave, and before that he wanted to see his brother. Clearing his throat, he knocked and called again. He was dismayed when Sans didn’t answer, and nearly turned around before hesitantly reaching out for the doorknob. It was almost always locked, his brother was very private at times. He knew it wouldn't open.


	3. Sans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: Inciting incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 - 12 - 2 - 121
> 
> This is so late.
> 
> I'm sorry.

San’s door opened smoothly.

For a moment, Papyrus didn’t even register that it had happened. The script said that it didn’t. The script said that the handle stopped instantly, the locking mechanism catching almost immediately. Today, the script had been edited.

Papyrus let hope fill him for a moment, though deep down he knew the door meant nothing. He was a creature of hope, after all, and had to pretend he was making progress to save his sanity. Secretly, he already knew this was just another draft, he could feel it in the back of his skull. The tickle of memories forgotten. Soon, he would be able to recite these lines. Soon, he would know these stage directions.

But the final draft.

The final take.

That would be one where he didn’t die.

The day that he went back home and cooked for Sans and… 

And give Sans a hug. A big, long hug. He knew it would confuse Sans when he did this, but it wouldn’t matter, because Papyrus wouldn’t be dust in the final draft. He’d be alive to continue to protect Sans and cook pasta and clean and train with Undyne and…

For a moment Papyrus had to close his eyes thinking about it. He needed a hug now, before he left, because after he left, if Sans wasn’t walking with him, he wouldn’t see his brother until the human came. And after the human came the script became _very_ strict. No room for improvisation. No room to learn new lines. Because ultimately this day always ended in dust, and in order to survive his own death Papyrus needed a hug so that he could keep his hope for future hugs. For any future.

For the today where he actually went home.

Papyrus had every detail of that script planned. He’d go home immediately, if he could, and if Sans was slacking off he wouldn’t say so much as a word to the other skeleton. In fact, he’d ask Sans if he would watch something with him. Hopefully something featuring his favorite sexy rectangle, but… If the only way to get Sans to join him was one of his sci-fi shows so be it. They weren’t that horrible, after all. He’d call Undyne, of course, warn her. He’d do anything he had to make sure everyone was safe, but... Hopefully he’d make pasta for diner (when was the last time he actually got to make diner?), have Sans read to him (when was the last time he’d been read to?) and go to bed early (when was the last time he actually went to bed instead of simply waking up?).

Papyrus blinked. The door was open. How had he gotten distracted from that?

Slowly he pushed it open wider, greeted at first only by darkness until he realized that a pale blue glow lit the back of the room. With sudden panic, he rushed through the darkened room, stepping easily over the treadmill to his brother’s mattress. He half sat, half knelt near the middle of the lumpy thing, reaching out to where he suspected his brother’s shoulder would be through the guise of greasy fabrics. When was the last time he actually washed…?

“SANS?” 

No response. He could feel Sans trembling beneath his touch.

“SANS, WHAT’S WRONG?”

“papyrus…?” The blue light seemed to flicker for a moment, then resumed.

“YES, IT’S ME, BROTHER! WHY ARE YOU SO UPSET? DID YOU HAVE A BAD DREAM?”

“heh. sure.” Sans said, his voice unusually thin, “why not?”

“SURE?” Papyrus wrapped his arms around Sans limp form, trying to get the smaller skeleton to look at him, “ARE YOU SAYING IT WAS NOT A DREAM?”

Sans just stared at him for a moment, his expression blank. Slowly, recognition crossed his freatures, and he smiled. Well, grinned. Papyrus got the odd feeling it would be a grimace if Sans were less practiced at hiding things from him.

“nah, pap… it was a nightmare. that’s all.” Sans said, pulling himself from the other skeleton’s grasp, “i didn’t mean to bug you.”

“NONE SENSE!” Papyrus exclaimed with an enthusiasm he didn’t feel. He was getting very good at that. “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD NEVER BE BUGGED BY MY BROTHER! SANS, I DON’T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH LIMBS FOR THAT!”

Sans remained silent and Papyrus frowned, far to use to being theatrical with his emotions to stop himself at this point. It helped him actually feel them, most of the time. It was unusual for Sans ever to hold back on a snide comment, and he usually laughed even at the poorest jokes. Papyrus knew that the bug thing wasn’t his best, but… In the very least Sans should’ve commented on it.

“WHAT WAS YOUR NIGHTMARE ABOUT?”

“i don’t want to talk about it.”

“NONSENSE!” Paprus replied, “YOU ARE MY LITTLE BROTHER AND IT IS MY DUTY TO HELP YOU THOUGH ANY STRUGGLE, NO MATTER HOW MINOR!”

“you’re only older by like, four minutes, pap.”

“AH, BUT YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SMALLER!”

Sans laughed despite himself. It was a weak noise, but honest.

“SEE? I’M PRETTY GOOD AT MY JOB. NOW, ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME, OR DO I HAVE TO MAKE MORE OF THIS HORRIBLE JOKES FIRST?”

Sans looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “it was… so quiet… dark. we were all trapped in the dark. and it was all my fault because i… i…”

“YOU WHAT?”

“heh.” The sound was suddenly bitter now, hallow, “i took it easy.”

“YOU ALWAYS TAKE IT EASY, SANS! THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT WAS YOUR FUALT. HOW COULD IT BE? AND IT WAS JUST A DREAM, ANYWAY.”

Papyrus could tell instantly that he’d said exactly the wrong thing by the way Sans’ face shifted.

“you’re right,” he said, “i do always take it easy. i just wish there was some way to prevent that.”

“YOU COULD START WITH BREAKFAST!” Papyrus said, quickly, trying to distract Sans from wherever his thoughts were going, “IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY!”

“that won’t help, pap. i never do anything because i’m a coward. not like you. you try. every... every single time.”

“YOU’RE NOT A COWARD, SANS! YOU-”

But time had run out. Papyrus felt the control he had over himself shutter, the script calling for his presence re-calibrating the puzzles of Snowdin. As he suddenly fell silent he saw it for the first time. The look of recognition in Sans eyes. But… How? Hadn’t he tried countless times to tell his brother, and now…?

“gotta go already, huh?” Sans said, and Papyrus heard something in his voice that chilled him to the bone. Something distant and defeated. “i do too, soon. for what it’s worth, i don’t want to, bro. but… i guess i’ll see you _tomorrow_ , right? or, well... whenever. i hope it's tomorrow. not that we’ll remember, of course, but it's... easier... when it's tomorrow...”

Papyrus stood like a puppet on stings, unable to delay his own retreat. The script was demanding. Unchangeable. Inevitable.

As he walked out the door, he heard Sans call out in a whisper of a voice, audible over only the silence the script imposed on him.

"love you, pap."

He never got his hug.

**Author's Note:**

> The Story Arc:  
> 1) Start.  
> 2) Established routine.  
> 3) Inciting incident.  
> 4) Everything changes.  
> 5) Obstacle to overcome.  
> 6) Tension rises.  
> 7) Reset.  
> ???) Climax  
> ???+1) Denoument


End file.
